Chapter 38: Shameless Husband

Elias stared at the orange system screen for several seconds, his eyes moving across Stella’s status while his mind struggled to process what he was seeing.

The raw numbers alone were already far beyond his current abilities, but what truly caught his attention was the potential behind them. Once Stella enhanced herself with Aura, those already monstrous physical attributes could rise to three times their normal level, and depending on how much Aura she used, they could reach five times as much.

’So this is the difference between a Warrior and a Monarch...’ Elias thought.

He lowered his wet hand from his hair and continued reading.

Stella possessed the basic swordsmanship skills that every swordsman would normally learn, along with Fireball and Fire Wall, two zero-circle spells that could provide additional options during combat. Those made sense to him, especially considering her A-grade Mana Aptitude and Fire Affinity.

However, the skills listed afterward were another matter entirely.

’What do these mean?’ he wondered.

The moment the thought crossed his mind, several explanation tabs appeared beneath the corresponding skills.

[Excellent Aura Enhancement]

[Grade: A]

[Use Aura to enhance physical and mental abilities.]

’This one is straightforward.’

He had already experienced the effects of Aura during his previous encounters with Stella, although he still couldn’t use it himself. The ability to circulate Aura through the body could drastically increase one’s physical capabilities, and judging from Stella’s numbers, the difference wasn’t small.

[Aura Layering]

[Grade: A]

[Construct layers of Aura around your body and weapon.]

Elias’s eyes narrowed slightly.

’So circulating Aura is the first step, then Layering comes after it.’

He continued reading.

[Aura Invoking]

[Grade: A]

[Flow Aura outside of your body.]

His expression became thoughtful.

’And Invoking comes after Layering.’

From what he could understand, simply circulating Aura through the body was the easiest technique among the three. Constructing Aura into layers around the body or weapon required greater control, while flowing Aura outside the body was even more difficult.

’That explains why Lord-level Aura can leave the body.’

Elias remembered what he had learned from the Crimson Ducal Clan. Lords could allow Aura to leave their bodies, while Monarchs could transform Aura into Intent.

[Aura Sense]

[Grade: A]

[Use invoked Aura to create a Zone within which you can sense everything.]

Elias’s eyebrows rose.

’So this is how they sense things through Aura.’

The concept was surprisingly useful. Instead of relying solely on ordinary senses, a swordsman could spread Aura around themselves and create a Zone that allowed them to perceive everything within it.

He continued reading, but his thoughts were interrupted by a small inconvenience.

’Wait.’

His eyes briefly moved away from the system screen.

He had forgotten to take the rubbing cloth from the cupboard in the corner before entering the bath.

Elias sighed quietly and stepped out of the water, reaching for the towel before wrapping it around himself. He then walked toward the cupboard while continuing to read the explanations that remained open before his eyes.

[Demon Hound’s Seven Sword Strikes]

[Grade: S]

[A sword technique created by the Warden of Ice by watching the Demon Hound tear down the bones of an ancient being.]

Elias paused beside the cupboard.

’Warden of Ice? Demon Hound?’

He rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

’Who are these people?’

There was no explanation beyond that brief description, so he could only assume they were figures from some distant period of history.

He opened the cupboard, retrieved the rubbing cloth, and slowly walked back toward the bath while another explanation appeared.

[Blood Wyrm’s Steps]

[Grade: S]

[A foot technique created by the Son of Lost Sun while riding the back of the first Blood Wyrm.]

Elias stopped again.

’The Son of Lost Sun? The first Blood Wyrm?’

He looked at the description for several seconds before shaking his head.

’None of this makes any sense.’

Still, the fact that Stella possessed both techniques was enough to tell him that her inheritance was extraordinary.

He stepped beside the tub and began rubbing himself with the cloth while continuing to read the remaining descriptions.

The next skill immediately caught his attention.

[King’s Sword]

[Grade: S]

[Manifest your will as a sword.]

Elias’s movements slowed.

"Manifest your will..." he mumbled.

He stared at the words, his expression becoming increasingly thoughtful.

That sounded fundamentally different from Aura.

Aura was something that could be circulated through the body, layered around the body or weapon, and eventually invoked outside the body. However, this skill seemed to describe something beyond physical energy.

[Intent Layering]

[Grade: S]

[Intent is superior to Aura, and you can construct layers of it around your body and weapon.]

Elias’s brows lifted slightly.

’Intent is superior to Aura.’

The statement was simple, but its implications were enormous.

If Aura could already increase physical strength several times over, then something superior to Aura had to be even more powerful.

[Intent Invoking]

[Grade: S]

[Intent is superior to Aura, and you can flow it outside of your body.]

Elias stared at the explanation.

"So... Intent can do the same things as Aura, but at a higher level?" he mumbled.

The progression seemed increasingly clear.

First came Aura, which could be circulated within the body. Then came Aura Layering, which required greater control to construct Aura around the body or weapon, followed by Aura Invoking, which allowed Aura to flow outside the body.

And beyond all of that was Intent.

Intent could be layered around the body and weapon, just like Aura, and it could also be invoked outside the body, yet it was fundamentally superior.

Elias slowly lowered the rubbing cloth.

"Intent..." he mumbled.

The word remained in his mind.

He had heard that Monarchs possessed Intent, but until now, he had never truly understood what that meant.

The system description had only given him a small glimpse.

Elias looked back toward the orange screen, still trying to piece everything together.

Meanwhile, Monica, whom he had made to sit against the wall, had woken up and was currently watching him with wide eyes, her pale face gradually turning red.

Her gaze moved across his naked figure, his refined muscles, glistening skin, and faint scars from spars.

’H-How shameless... Showing me such a go— b-bad thing!’

Even though she said so to herself, her eyes remained fixed on him. It was quite rare for her to see a unique specimen... yes, she was doing this for the arcane, not because she was a pervert. Not at all.